Volunteer in Ghana

VOLUNTEER
IN ghana

Volunteer in Ghana and gain the unforgettable experience of changing the lives of others while at the same time, exploring the beautiful country! Rustic Volunteer offers affordable and life-changing programs, allowing you to grow profusely in a multitude of ways. Ghana has earned the reputation of being one of the friendliest places on the continent and is an excellent destination for travels and volunteering. With its amazing wildlife, a fascinating landscape, a diversified culture, great safaris and gorgeous beaches, It offers one of the best travel and volunteering experiences in Africa. Rustic Volunteer's Volunteering Ghana program offers volunteers an array of opportunities to suit individual skills and interests. Regardless of whether you choose to work in an orphanage, school or medical program, you will undoubtedly enjoy exploring this beautiful country while enriching the lives of others.

Contact Rustic Volunteer now and we will gladly send you additional information about our programs to volunteer in Ghana. The sooner you contact us, the sooner you can begin the adventure of a lifetime and make a difference in the world!

Fees and Dates

Start Dates:

All volunteer programs start on the second and fourth Monday of each month.

If you are tired of expensive volunteer programs but want to make a positive contribution in the world, look no further! Rustic is dedicated to offering high-quality, well-organized and meaningful programs at the most affordable price in the United States. We work hard to keep costs as low as possible, focusing on the effectiveness of our projects, the safety of our volunteers and the quality of participant experiences. We currently offer the most competitive price possible in today's market including an application fee (of $299) AND a small weekly fee as follows:

Duration

Orphanage/Teaching/Medical/HIV

1 Week

$175

2 Weeks

$300

3 Weeks

$425

4 Weeks

$550

5 Weeks

$675

6 Weeks

$800

7 Weeks

$925

8 Weeks

$1050

9 Weeks

$1175

10 Weeks

$1300

11 Weeks

$1425

12 Weeks

$1550

Mandatory Comprehensive Travel Insurance $3.49/day

Language and Culture Program fee $250

Summer volunteer and adventure (4 weeks include Travel) $1899

Program Fees cover

Accommodation (volunteer house or host family)

Food (local food 3 times a day)

Airport Pick up/Transfer

Program Orientation

In-country support

Personalized project

Pre-departure information

Certificate of completion

Fundraising ideas and letters

Discount for returning volunteers

Program Fees Exclude

Visas

Airfare

Personal expenses on soft drinks and foods

Daily transportation

Airport return transfer

The volunteer trip in Ghana program fees will cover expenses that will begin on the first day of the program (usually the first or third Monday of the month) to the last day of the program. If you arrive before the first day of the program or you decide you stay beyond your program’s last day, you will be responsible for the additional expenses, which would typically be around $30 a day for room and meals at a hostel.

Volunteer Programs in Ghana

Work in an Orphanage

Volunteer in an orphanage in Ghana and instantly change the lives of poor children. Due to extreme poverty, neglect and abuse, many children in Ghana are forced to leave their homes. These children live in the streets under harsh conditions. The society also looks down upon them and some abandoned children are left to beg on the streets. This project offers an opportunity for street children in Ghana to live and learn under one roof until they are adopted or placed with family members who can provide better care. In collaboration with local orphanages and day care centers in Ghana, Rustic Volunteer places volunteers who are willing to offer care and assistance to these impoverished children. Working in the orphanage project in Ghana is a fulfilling deed, as volunteers spend 4/5 hours a day to help desperate and destitute children.

There are no of specific qualifications required to volunteer in the orphanage project in Ghana. However, volunteers interested in working with orphans must have love for the kids and willingness to share their time and compassion with patience and high flexibility.

Teaching English

Volunteer teaching English in Ghana and open doors for local children! Like in any developing country in the world, the demand for English is at an all-time high and quickly growing in Ghana. The knowledge of English is a gateway to good, high paying jobs, thus luring young generations to master the art of speaking proper English. Children in Ghana are very eager to learn and improve their conversational English. This project helps primary and secondary school children between the ages of 5-10 and 11-16 to learn English, as well as other subjects such as math and science. Teaching resources are always available for volunteer teachers. Through a partnership with Rustic Volunteer and the Ghanaian local government, volunteers can focus on providing new and innovative ways to teach English and share ideas with local teachers for use with future students, thereby making a long-lasting impact benefiting the entire community.

There are no of specific qualifications required to volunteer in the orphanage project in Ghana. However, volunteers interested in working with orphans must have love for the kids and willingness to share their time and compassion with patience and high flexibility.

Health Projects

In Ghana, efforts are underway to improve the health sector, especially in regards to women’s and children’s health. A high importance is placed on improving the quality of reproductive health services and preventing the impact of widespread communicable diseases. As a health volunteer in Ghana, you can help bridge gaps preventing efficient and effective delivery of health services as well as foster partnerships leading to improved health in Ghana. Government and non-governmental organizations run a number of health facilities, hospitals, maternity clinics, children's hospitals, HIV/AIDS wards and alternative-medicine clinics in many cities and small rural villages. Rustic Volunteer collaborates with these organizations to provide trained volunteers who are able to promote health education in villages and make a difference in the health sector of Ghana.

A volunteer's role can range from observational to basic assistance, depending on their level of prior experience. Volunteers will be working with doctors, spending time in various departments of busy hospitals like gynecology, neurology, orthopedics, obstetrics, pediatrics and surgery. Examples of possible daily tasks include:

Changing bandages

Taking blood pressure and vital statistics

Contributing to education about basic prevention

Learning about healthcare practices in different cultures

Assisting doctors and nurses in local hospitals

Working in various departments like gynecology, neurology, orthopedics, obstetrics, pediatrics and surgery

Health volunteers must have proof of qualifications as a healthcare professional, medical student, doctor or nurse. Volunteers must have medical background to volunteer in this project.

HIV/AIDS Prevention and Counseling

Volunteer in the HIV/AIDS Prevention and Counseling program in Ghana and help to possibly save lives and care for those who are infected. AIDS is the leading killer in Africa, with over 2.4 million deaths in 2002 alone. Despite major investments in AIDS prevention, the rate of HIV infection in many African countries is still rising. This project aims to prevent the transmission of HIV/AIDS and provide support to the infected. We disseminate developmental information on health related issues, focusing mainly on reproductive health and the prevention of sexually transmitted diseases including HIV/AIDS. We provide educational materials on issues relating to the causes, effects and prevention of HIV/AIDS. Rustic Volunteer’s partner organizations work to advance adolescent reproductive health and HIV/AIDS prevention. They focus on promoting behavioral change through facilitating discussions on HIV prevention and sexual health with community groups, including youth in and out-of-school, clients at antenatal clinics and general community meetings. Loving and caring volunteers are needed to raise their self-esteem and work as mentors to reach the maximum number of people, especially the younger generation and children who are more vulnerable to this deadly disease.

As a volunteer in Ghana working to prevent HIV/AIDS, you may engage in a variety of activities such as:

Taking care of HIV/AIDS infected kids and people

Engaging those who are infected in educational and training activities meant to increase awareness and stop the epidemic of HIV/AIDS in Ghana

Caring for and encouraging HIV/AIDS infected

Counseling and educating in hospitals and communities

Raising personal risk perception among the youth, men and women by involving them in HIV/AIDS preventive education

Helping various HIV/AIDS organizations in their community outreach programs (hospice care, recreational and educational programs, voluntary HIV counseling and testing and educational seminars and conferences on the virus within the local community

There are no specific qualifications required to volunteer with this project. However, volunteers must possess love and willingness to share time and compassion with people and have patience and high flexibility.

Meals/Accommodations

Rustic Volunteer arranges volunteer meals, accommodations and strong field supervision for the duration of projects and optional travel packages. In Ghana, most volunteers stay in our home base, a permanent home established for our international volunteers. Our home base in Ghana is located in a nice community and in a very safe and clean neighborhood. There are internet cafés, restaurants, local bus stations, a police station and supermarkets near our home base. The home base provides a comfortable place to relax after a long day. There are several bedrooms (which may be shared with a same-gender volunteer) and community areas. There is a shared kitchen, television and shared bathrooms, which have running water and "western-style" toilets. In addition, orphanage volunteers may stay at their project, as many orphanages have special rooms set aside for international volunteers and these accommodations are normally shared with a same-gender volunteer.

Depending on the influx of volunteers, accommodations could be with a host family. Host family accommodations are simple and clean homes in safe neighborhoods. Volunteers usually have a private bedroom, but occasionally rooms will be shared with a same-gender volunteer. Our host families are well screened and are respected members of their communities who live in affluent neighborhoods. Most of our host families have experience hosting international volunteers. Host family stays are a great chance for cultural immersion and exchange.

Volunteers receive three local meals per day (breakfast, lunch and dinner). We can provide vegetarian meal options, but needs must be detailed in the volunteer application. Snacks and beverages outside of mealtimes are not provided; however, there are local restaurants and grocery stores near the residences in which we place volunteers.

Rustic offers unparalleled field support to volunteers to ensure a safe and rewarding experience. There are many layers of support for Rustic Volunteer volunteers. The most important support comes from our country coordinator/field staff. The secondary support comes from the host project staff and members of host families and/or a home base staff. Volunteers will have access to our country coordinator's mobile number and they are available 24/7. Throughout the volunteer project, our local staff stays in contact with volunteers either with face-to-face visits or via email/telephone. Our field staff will visit regularly (every 2-4 weeks) to make sure things are going well and as planned. However, if placement is far from our local offices, staff members will stay in touch via email/ phone. Volunteers are also welcome to stop in the offices at any time.

Specific details regarding accommodations, food and contact details for our local coordinator will be provided in a personalized volunteer placement documentation prior to arrival.

Project Locations:

The orphanage project is located in Accra (home to the National Museum of Ghana, the Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences and the Christianborg or Osu Castle -- the residence of the president of Ghana) and Kumasi (include the large Kumasi Central Market, Tafo kumasi, Fort Kumasi (built by the British in 1896 to replace an Asante fort and now the Kumasi Hat Museum). Both the cities are renowned for their friendly atmospheres where visitors are always welcomed. It's full of contrasts: from traditional culture and history to modern infrastructure and most of the amenities you would expect from a modernized city. Volunteers can organize several combinations of potential excursions during and after the project to visit places of interest. There is a tourist infrastructure already in place that volunteers can use during weekends. For example: waterfalls, monkey sanctuaries, markets, purple princess designs, mountain biking, drumming schools, community based eco-tourism projects, the Volta river, pottery villages, hotels, Kenta weaving studios and many more.

Major FAQs - Ghana

Application Process

Please read Rustic Volunteer's 5-step application

There are two options for applying to volunteer in Ghana through our program. You can apply online or you can download an application, fill it out and mail it in to us. You will need to submit your application with a $200 deposit.

Once we get your application, we will immediately send it to Ghana for processing. They go over your application carefully and find the best project possible for you. The decisions for room and food are made at this time. Arrangement for room and food depends on the location of the project. The vast majority of our volunteers stay in or home base or in full-immersion home stays, though some orphanage projects are residential.

Once we get the details of your placements, we pass it on to you with a final invoice. Your final payment is due six weeks before your start date and in expedited cases, as soon as possible. The placement details have local contact information to use as contacts on your visa application or to get in touch with the local staff and host family.

Preparation for trips should include reading about Ghana, immunization, travel Visa (entry permit) and booking airfare. If you face any problems, our Program Manager is always available for assistance.

Once you purchase your ticket, send your flight information to our US office by fax or email. Your flight information will be forwarded to the Ghana staff who will arrange an airport pickup.

Arrival Information

Arrival Point:

Kotoka International Airport , Accra

Airport Pick-up:
Upon receipt of your flight information, our in-country coordinator or other project staff will greet the volunteers in the airport and take you to your project site. The address and telephone number of the local contact hotel will be given before departure in case volunteers miss our representative in the airport. Please make sure to e-mail your flight information to both the USA office and the local in-country coordinator's office.

Departure Point:

Kotoka International Airport , Accra

Airport Drop:
Rarely, a few do request an escort back to the airport; this is an extra expense of about $75. Most are very familiar and comfortable with their stay and have great ease taking their own taxi or bus back to the airport.

Internal Transportation:

Rustic Volunteer manages one-way transportation to projects. Volunteers will be responsible for their own personal and return travel. We do not cover daily transportation from host family/hotel to the project. Our program is designed to save you the volunteer as much as possible.

Start Dates:
2nd and 4th Monday of each month

Arrival Before Start Date:

Rustic Volunteers/Travelers coming to Ghana are advised to arrive one day before their program start date. If you arrive more than one day early or stay after the program, you will be responsible for your room and food expenses.

Working Hours:
30- 40 hours per week

Visa

Rustic strongly suggest that all volunteers apply for a tourist visa in a timely manner before departing for Ghana. Please call our office or contact the local Ghana embassy to learn more about visa, visa fees, and visa extensions. Getting your tourist visa is your responsibility.

Health & Safety

Volunteers should be aware of all health and safety information before traveling to India. We suggest you visit some of the websites listed below.

To avoid being a target, dress conservatively. Don't wear expensive-looking jewelry. A flashy wardrobe or one that is too casual, marking you as a tourist. As much as possible, avoid the appearance of affluence.

Carry the minimum amount of valuables necessary for your trip and plan how to conceal them. Your passport, cash and credit cards are most secure when locked in a safe.

When you leave the United States, you are subject to the laws of the country you are visiting. Therefore, before you go, learn as much as you can about the local laws and customs of the places you plan to visit.

Be especially cautious in or avoid areas where you are likely to be victimized. These include crowded subways, train stations, elevators, tourist sites, market places, festivals and marginal areas of cities.

Vaccination

We use the Center for Disease Control traveler's health recommendations (www.cdc.gov.) Consult a travel doctor about current epidemics and health risks.

Recommended Vaccinations and Preventive Medications

The following vaccines may be recommended for your travel to West Africa including Ghana . Discuss your travel plans and personal health with a health-care provider to determine which vaccines you will need.

What is the exchange rate? Where should I change my dollars? Can I use debit card or credit card? Should I bring travelers checks?

Your credit card information can be stolen and used fraudulently just by making a credit card payment. More and more visitors to Ghana have reported shady transactions occurring after they use their credit cards. For this reason, cash and travelers checks are suggested to settle most accounts. You will have trouble paying with traveler's checks, but you will be able to exchange them at local banks or post offices. Traveler's checks are recommended as a safe way to carry money with you, make sure you write down the check numbers and contact information you need to cancel stolen checks. Different brands of traveler's checks work better in different countries so consult your local financial institution about which company you should buy your checks from.

Travelers should have a credit card for large or emergency purchases. If you've requested a pin number for your credit card, you can use it to get cash advances at the ATM.

You can also carry a debit card that can be used at ATM's to withdraw local currency. When using ATM's, be advised to bring a friend along and travel directly from the bank back to your home and stash your cash. Find a private, well disguised place to hide any cash. When you are carrying cash, break it up into different amounts and keep it in different pockets so if you get robbed you won't lose everything.

Field Support and Supervision

How does Rustic Volunteer help me when I am in the field? How can I maintain communication? Does Rustic Volunteer visit volunteers?

Once the volunteer program starts, our local staff stays in touch with volunteers. We visit our volunteers every 2-4 weeks (if possible) and you are always welcome at the office. Your project will have local staff as well. The local doctors, nurses and administrators on your project will be there for you throughout. If your project is very far from our offices, our local staff will maintain communication by email and phone.

Communication

How do I communicate with my family? Rustic Volunteer staffs? Is there internet?

Volunteers are request to bring their mobile phone. Once you arrive in Ghana, you can change your sim-card and use it. This is the perfect way to stay in touch with your family and Rustic Volunteer office in Accra. Internet access is available in Accra at Internet centers. Most places are open 8am to 9pm Monday to Saturday. Prices are very inexpensive. International phone calling is easy in Accra from card phones or communication centers. You can buy phone cards from stalls around town for the Ghana Telecom offices in central Accra.

Please see your placement sheet to find the details information about the availability of telephones, internet etc in your placement areas

Ghana has a tropical equatorial climate, which means that it's hot year-round with seasonal rains. In the humid southern coastal region, the rainy seasons are from April to June, and during September and October. Throughout the year, maximum temperatures are around 30 degrees Celsius, dropping three or four degrees during the brief respite between rainy seasons. The humidity is constantly height, at about 80%. In the central region, the rains are heavier and last longer. In the hotter and drier north, there is one rainy season, lasting from April to October. Midday temperatures rarely fall below 30 degrees Celcius, rising to 35 degrees and higher during December to March, when the Harmattan winds blow in from the Sahara. At this time, dust particles hang heavily in the air making it constantly hazy and temperatures plummet at night.

Materials to Bring

Most stuff of daily use are available in Ghana at a cheaper price. However, we suggest volunteers pack the following things.

Camera

Mobile phone (you can use mobile phone after changing sim card)

Sleeping bag

Mosquito repellents

Insect repellents

Sun-block

Some books about Ghana

Map of Ghana

Toiletries

First aid kit

Flash light

Electricity adopter/converter

Sun glasses

Footwear (for work and travel)

Towel

Gift for Host Family and Project

It is a common courtesy to bring a small gift for the family that will be hosting you. You are not required to do so, but if you choose to bring something it can be pretty simple. We suggest a box of chocolates, a t-shirt with a hometown logo, or pictures of your family and some local post cards.

If you want to bring gifts for your project (and if you are working for an orphanage or a school please bring pencils, pens and paper, art supplies like markers, construction paper pads and games. Remember that every child will need these items so you may wish to bring a bunch of one thing.